Beginning in 1967, Platoon follows the story of Chris Taylor, as he is sent among his other young fellow soldiers to Vietnam. From the looks of it as he enters the platoon, there are two main groups; one cynical and toughened that are below Sergeant Barnes, and a hopeful idealistic group below Sergeant Elias. One night, as the groups are sent to as a night ambush control, one of the men that are supposed to keep watch fall asleep. Vietnamese solders are close, and a firefight begins, where Taylor it hurt.
They are then sent on another mission, a few months later, where the platoon is supposed to patrol an area. As they walk, the groups begin sensing something is wrong. They see a bunker that belonged to the Vietnamese Army that is deserted. As someone checks it, they are blown up, as it is laden with booby traps. Another soldier is mutilated because of the traps. When they stumble upon a nearby village, where they notice they huge number of weapons, they go rampage and begin destroying everything they can find. Barnes kills the wife of the village chief and wants to continue with the rest of his family; though he is stopped by Elias. Instead, they burn the village and leave.
When they return, a commander named Harris tells them that a court-martial with begin if he hears of any illegal killings. Barnes is worried that Elias will tell the commander of what he did. After more of the soldiers are killed in a firefight, and even more after a Lieutenant kills more of his own units, they are again sent out into the woods. Barnes follows Elias and shoots him, telling Taylor and the rest of the group that he was shot by the enemy. However, Taylor sees Elias limping and hurt, before being taken by the Vietnamese army and killed a while after Barnes tells the group of what happened. Taylor realizes the truth.
Taylor attacks Barnes but is quickly overpowered and cut in the eye. As they go out on patrol, they know a big battle is on its way. They fight, though there I a foxhole that blows up, leaving many soldiers dead in the disorder. Barnes is fighting, and when he sees Taylor again, tries to kill him. An Airstrike renders them unconscious, and Taylor later gets the upper hand, killing Barnes. He is then sent home because of his second wound. He states that the war might be over, but it will forever rage within him.
